Inclinable rocking chair



Oct. 1, 1968 A. R. LINDQVIST 3,403,882

INCLINABLE ROCKING CHAIR Filed Nov. 14, 1966 a'lfig IZEENTOR.

United States Patent 3,403,882 INCLINABLE ROCKING CHAIR Artur ReinholdLindqvist, Grythyttan, Sweden, assignor to AB Grythyttans Stalmobler,Grythyttan, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Nov. 14, 1966, Ser.No. 593,790 6 Claims. (Cl. 248373) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Thepresent invention refers to an inclinable chair which can be made torock, its seat part being mounted on a horizontal axis in swingingrelationship to its leg support structure, the connecting elementcomprising a resilient torsion bar, the ends of which are secured to theleg structure, while its center portion is secured to the seat part,whereby the leg structure is provided with at least one cylindricalbody, the center axis of which substantially coincides with the fixedpivot of the torsion bar, and upon which a bearing box secured to theseat part is abutting said bearing box embracing a maximum of 180 of thecircumference of the cylindrical body.

The object of the present invention is to provide a chair having thecharacteristics mentioned, the seat and leg structure parts beingreadily separable in order to facilitate storage and transportation.This readily separable feature allows the rocking chair to be knockeddown and stored between uses, thus enabling rocking chair comfort to beafforded to situations where heretofore only straight back foldingchairs or the like have been practical. While such a knockdown featuremay only be desirable in some situations, it is critical in others wherea floor space may be used a portion of the time for ambulatory purposessuch as dancing or sport events and at other times for the seating of anaudience, and storage space is limited.

An example of an embodiment of the invention will be described belowwith reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a chair according to the invention,and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the bearing arrangement of the same chairin enlarged scale taken substantially along the line II-II in FIG. 1.

A chair according to the present invention comprises a seat part 1 and aleg structure support 2 (and a supporting leg structure 2), in theembodiment described as an example, made of metal tubing. The seat part1 consists of a frame structure of bent tubes framing in the seat andthe support for the back. The seat and the back support are made ofwooden ribs 3 and 4, respectively, which by means of screws are fastenedto two metal bars 5, 6, respectively 7, 8 which extend below the seatand behind the back of the chair and are welded to the laterals of itsframework. A pair of wooden arm rests (elbow rests) 9, 10 are secured tothe laterals of the back of the chair being supported by bars 11, 12extending from the side portions of the seat. The leg structure of thechair comprises two pairs of legs 13, .14 made by bending a piece oftube at its center portion to form a short are 15, so that the end partsextend in an angular approach. The two pairs of legs 13, 14,interconnected by transversal tubes 16, 17, are positioned at each sideof the seat part right under the lateral seat tube 18, whereby a spaceis provided between the arc portion of the lateral tubes 15 of the legstructure and the lateral seat tube 18. Immediately below each arcportion 15 of a pair of legs a plate 19 is welded between the legs. Across member 20 3,403,882 Patented Oct. 1, 1968 "ice connects the pairsof legs. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the cross member20 is a torsion rod'of spring steel and, as shown in the drawing, iswelded at its ends to the plates 19.

A bar plate 21 is welded onto the top of the spring rod 20 at its centerportion, said bar plate extending perpendicularly to the rod and beingsecured with screws 22 or other suitable means to bars 5 and 6, whichextend under the seat supporting seat ribs 3. Seat part 1 of the chairand leg structure 2 are thus connected by bar plates 21 secured tospring rod 20, and can be readily taken apart by untightening nuts 22 ofthe screws. Seat part 1 and leg structure 2 may then be stackedseparately or in each other facilitating storage and transportation.

At each one of the ends of torsion bar 20 adjacent to leg structure 2 acylindrical body 23, made of nylon as a suitable material and havingcomparatively short axial extension, is secured to the rod, the centeraxis of said body 23 substantially coinciding with the fixed pivot ofthe torsion bar. Bars 11, 12 supporting the elbow rests, are bent inbetween tube 18 of the seat frame and are 15 of the leg structure 2 andcontinue downwards towards the cylindrical body, being fitted with abearing box part 24 at their respective ends, said bearing boxexhibiting a curvature substantially corresponding to the peripheraloutline of the cylindrical body, its embrace extending over slightlyless than one half of the circumference of said cylindrical body 23. Forthe manufacturing process, it may be convenient to have the insidecurvature of the bearing box of a slightly larger radius than the one ofthe circumference of the cylindrical body 23. The axial extension of thebearing box may suitably be less than the one of the cylindrical body.

When using the chair, the bearing box parts, secured to the seat, followthe peripheral surface of the cylindrical bodies. When the steel rod 20is subjected to torsion it tends to cause the seat to return to ahorizontal position. A gentle and pleasant rocking movement is therebyobtained.

What I claim is:

1. A knockdown rocking chair comprising in combination:

a seat structure,

said seat structure having bearing means secured therebeneath adapted torest upon and pivot about support means, and

a stationary leg structure including:

two pairs of legs interconnected by a substantially horizontal crossmember,

support means positioned on said leg structure l upon which said bearingmeans is adapted to rest and about which said seat structure is adaptedto pivotally rock,

a plate member fixedly secured transverse to said cross member wherebyalternating pressure upon said transverse plate member, caused by therocking motion of said seat structure, will cause said cross member andtransverse plate member fixedly secured thereto to rotate throughpartial revolutions on a common axis,

said transverse plate member having attachment means adapted toreleasably secure said seat structure to said stationary leg structurewhereby said rocking chair may be quickly and easily assembled or brokendown.

2. A knockdown rocking chair as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidtransverse plate member is a bar and said cross member is a torsion rod.

3. A knockdown rocking chair as claimed in claim 2 wherein said supportcomprises at least one cylindrical body secured about said torsion rod,proximate the ends thereof; said cylindrical body having an axissubstantially aligned with the axis common to said torsion bar and platemeans.

4. A knockdown rocking chair as claimed in claim 3 wherein the bottomsurface of said bearing means is adapted to mate with and rest upon saidat least one cylinder body, said bottom surface exhibiting a curvaturesubstantially corresponding to the circumferential surface of said atleast one cylindrical body.

5. A knockdown rocking chair as claimed in claim 4 wherein the maximumcurvature of said bottom surface is through cylindrical arc of 180.

6. A knockdown rocking chair as claimed in claim 5 wherein said at leastone cylinder body is composed of nylon.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Collier et a1. 248373 XRHappstrite 248375 Lie 248373 XR Coven 297-266 Frank 297264 Savage248-374 Lie 248373 BOBBY R. GAY, Primaly Examiner.

G. O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner.

